Unfortunately the post doesn’t really help much in terms of finding out which combinations trigger the bug, so I tried out some of the combinations myself found that using any traffic source dimension with these metrics will trigger the bug:

entrances

exits

exit %

If you are aware of other metrics that trigger this bug, please let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

I should add that this bug also affects custom reports!

If you’re using any traffic source dimension and adCost together with any of the above metrics in a custom report you’ll get zero for the adCost data.

We need a new standard dictionary for what elements we can measure and what attributes each element has.

eCommerce transactions are already standard in all web analytics solutions. Most of the higher end analytics solutions are already addressing the overall issue by adding dedicated event types for video views, downloads, or outbound links.

I’d like to see dedicated events for things like clicks, scrolls, even a “still on the page” event (this is for more accurate time on page measurement)

There will always be always be room for a generic type of event, but in order to reach the next generation of web analytics adoption, we (the industry) really need to expand our horizons beyond page views and events.

We see that people are more than comfortable scrolling long, long pages to find what they are looking for. A quick snoop around the web will show you successful brands that are not worrying about the fold either.

I was thinking about the two articles which seem to be contradictory. After digesting all of the data, I have to say that both parties are right – they are just missing a crucial piece of information – the context in which the visitor is viewing the page.

If I’m on Amazon.com viewing a list of products, of course I’ll scroll because I know the information I want is below the fold.

If I just clicked on an ad and have landed on a site or page that I have never viewed before, my first internal question is “am I in the right place” and only after my internal dialog says yes, will I think “do I need to scroll to find what I am looking for”.

In the second scenario, it’s crucial to have above the fold all of the information the visitor needs in order to know they are in the right place.

So, in summary, if we combine the two opinions and add the missing ingredient – context, we get this (my version):

People are more than comfortable scrolling long pages only if the information above the fold, or their existing knowledge, makes them believe the rest of the page has what they are looking for or will be valuable.

On a side note, the CX partners article does indeed address the issue of bad design leading to a user not scrolling due to them not realizing there is more information below the fold, but that’s a different scenario.

First of all thanks for visiting Analytics Impact. It’s my job to make sure you have a pleasant stay and get some real value from your visit.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask.

I’ve been posting online since 1996 (the term blog didn’t exist then) and have been blogging about web analytics, conversion rate optimization, SEO, SEM and other fun stuff since 2005, though I was using my personal blog.

I decided it was time to separate my personal ramblings from my professional insights, hence this blog was born.